Infolding machine



INFOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan'; 18, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: mmflm J. Cuhfis BY mm m Md; Mob/l ATTORNEYfi Nov. 3, 1936.

M. J. CURLEY' INFOLDING .MAGIVIINEY Filed Jan. 18, 1935 :5 Sheets-Shee t s INVENTOR. WCM J W B Y MOW .KW? 1 A TTORNE Vs.

Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT orsiea INFOLDING MACHINE Michael J. Curley, Troy, N. Y., assignor to Reece Folding Machine Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application January 18, 1933, Serial No. 652,271

10 Claims. (01. 223-38) This invention is a novel infolding machine, and accuracy in placing marks or indentations intended particularly for the infolding of the at the margins of infolded blanks for the deedges of a cloth blank, such as a part of a collar scribed or other purposes. A further object is to or other garment, and at the same time impressafford a machine as described which will be sim ing or indenting adjacent to the edges thereof ple in construction and convenient in operation 5 certain marks or indentations at selected points. Other and further objects and advantages will The impressed marks or indentations may be for be explained in the hereinafter following devarious purposes, for example location marks to scription of an illustrative embodiment of the assist in a subsequent step in the production of invention or will be understood to those skilled a garment, such as for registering or positionin the subject. To the attainment of such ob- 10 ing afolded blank during the connecting or stitch- J'ects and advantages the present invention coning thereof to some other part or garment. As sists in the novel machine, and the novel feaan illustrative instance the invention is shown tures of combination, arrangement and construcapplied to the infolding of the margins of blanks tion herein illustrated or described.

to form collar bands or neck bands intended to In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a 15 be attached or stitched to shirts, and sometimes more or less diagrammatic view in what may be to have collar tops stitched to such bands, the termed right end elevation but with the central location marks or indentations serving as incooperating parts shown in transverse section, dexes or registering marks to insure the proper of an infolding machine embodying the present relation between the shirt and the band, and invention, the templet being shown in its de- 20 between the band and the top of the collar, the fining position, and in dotted lines in its eleindex mark being only of temporary character vated'or retracted position. and serving during the connecting or stitching Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an infolded and operation. indented collar band blank as made with this Examples of cloth blank infolding machines invention, the folded blank being doubled over r include the prior patent of Dixon issued October conveniently to show both sides.

18, 1932 No. 1,883,343, and other examples in- Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the templet or clude the Dormandy Patents No. 1,126.421 of Janudefining member, its supporting parts shown in ary 26, 1915 and No. 1,216,293 of February 20, horizontal section.

1917. In these and various other well-known Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the elevated por- 30 machines, the blank to be folded is laid upon a tion of the bed or pad of the machine on which supporting bed, a templet is caused to descend the inf'olding is performed, the outline of the upon the blank for defining its outline, and an templet and folded blank being indicated in infolder or set of infolders is movable inwardly dot and dash lines.

to infold the blank margins over the edges of Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the templet shown 35 the templet; and such machines are usually powin Fig. 3, with the supporting parts broken away, er operated and have connections for causing the and spaced, for clearness of illustration, slightly infolders to be depressed forcibly so as to squeeze above the supporting bed or pad, also shown in and crease the infolded blank edges between the front elevation but with its left end in longitudinal 40 infolders and the bed, and in the patents menvertical section on the crooked section line 5-5 40 tioned such squeezing or pressing is performed of Fig. 4.

while the infolds are occupied by the thin edges Fig. 6 is a similar transverse section taken for of the templet. example on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

It is of considerable manufacturing Value and Figs, 7 and8 are views corresponding substanadvantage that definite marks be produced at tially with Figs. 4 and 5 respectively showing a 5 proper points around the periphery of each inmodified embodiment of the invention. folded blank so as to insure its correct register- Fig. 9 is a partial front elevation of the teming with the garment or part to which it is to plet indicating the means for the lengthwise adbe stitched. For example, if the blank is to form justment of the defining parts thereof.

part of a neck band or collar band to be attached Fig. 10 is a similar front elevation of the bed to a shirt, the index marks may be so placed that indicating the means for adjustment of the pad when alined with the seams of the shirt the band portions thereof, this view being partly in secwill be in proper position. The general object tion on the line lib-Ill of Fig. 11. of the present invention is to afford a blank in- Fig. 11 is a transverse section taken on the line folding and impressing machine having efficiency 5 pa] 5 of Fi 10.

" the projection element.

The basic machine hereof is generally well known, according to the recited or other prior patents, and may be described as comprising certain basic elements which are caused to cooperate by a suitable mechanism usually power operated. Thus the blank supporting member or bed comprises a frame part 2| and frequently an elevated or pad portion 22 on which latter the blanks rest during the described operations. This bed is frequently maintained hot and is usually stationary although it might be lifted slightly for the blank squeezing operation in lieu of depressing the infolders as herein illustrated. The blank defining member or templet 27 is suitably mounted to descend upon the bed and subsequently to rise; and it is herein indicated as a templet which does not withdraw or contract from the folds before the squeezing and impressing operations, although under certain equivalent arrangements the type of templet which withdraws or contracts might be employed. The third basic element is the means for infolding the extending blank edges over the peripheral edges of the templet so as to produce the infolds, this element preferably comprising a system of infolder plates 12 with connections to move them in for the folding, and preferably to pull them down for the squeezing operation and subsequently to retract them outwardly to permit the extraction of the completed blank and the insertion of a new blank.

According to the present improvement, what may be termed complementary marking or impression elements are associated with the basic elements described in such a way that as the machine goes through its usual infolding and squeezing operations the impression elements will cooperate to afford the desired location marks on the folded periphery of the blanks. The complementary marking elements will be described as a projection and a recess respectively, and the projection may take various forms such as a rib, a small boss or even a penetrating point, the recess consisting of any groove or receiving space for In the illustrated embodiment one of the impression elements is on the bed or support, while the other or complementary element is on the templet or defining member, the projection I2 or E3 preferably being at the under side of the templet and the recess [4 or [5 opposed to it and formed in the top surface of the bed, so that when pressure is applied the material is impressed with the desired location marks, although the arrangement might be inverted; and the impressing projection is preferably such as to force the material into the opposing recess, thus to produce an indentation in the material, which affords a registering mark which will survive long enough for the subsequent stitching or other operations.

The illustrated blank is shown as consisting of a piece of cloth a, for example of the shape of a collar band, the front or lower margins of which are to be infolded forming infolds b and the upper or rear margins forming infolds 0. At the lower or front periphery of the folded blank are shown registering marks or indentations d, while at the opposite or rear periphery are similar marks or impressions e. The purpose of this particular arrangement may be that the front or lower impressions d, which are fairlyclose to the ends of the blank, locate the points for attachment of the collar top portion, while the upper or rear markings e, nearer to the middle of the length of the blank, are for the registry of the band with the shirt, for example with seams at the shoulders of the shirt, insuring accurate placing of the band upon the shirt; and in some instances the impressions 6 might be supplemented or replaced by a single central impression for registry with the rear center of the shirt.

The machine partly illustrated in Fig. 1 may be further understood by reference to the Dixon patent. An operating shaft I9 is shown carrying the cams to perform the several timed operations. Above the shaft the frame carries the bed 2| on which is supported the elevated pad 22, this being the part of the bed on which the infolding is done, and this pad may be of rectangular form somewhat larger than the contour to be infolded and adjustable lengthwise on the underneath bed. The pad 22 may be divided into longitudinal end sections 23 and a middle section 24 as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each section being interchangeable and longitudinally adjustable for varying the contour or size of the blank and each section being securable firmly into position by depending device or bolt 25 of usual kind as indicated in Figs. 1, and 11. The particular construction and cooperation of the illustrated parts of the pad will be hereinbelow described in connection with the description of the templet.

At the rear of the machine are upstanding brackets 28 carrying a rock shaft 29 from which extend forwardly supporting arms 30 carrying the templet or die 21; and the lifting and lowering of the templet may be effected through a rear lever arm 3i having connections including a link 32 extending to a cam lever 33 having a follower running on a cam 34 effecting the lowering and lifting of the templet in proper cooperation during each cycle or rotation of the shaft l9.

Ihe templet may be of different forms but its defining edge is herein shown as having sharp ends as is common on collar bands. For purposes of adjustment and interchange the templet is shown as comprising a plurality of sections or defining plates including a middle plate or section 35, a left end plate 36 and a right end plate which is subdivided into two portions 36 and 35 while between the middle and left end plates is an intermediate plate or section 31, and to the right of the middle plate is a similar intermediate plate 38. The plates or sections 35, 36, 37 and 38 are shown attached respectively to the lower ends of vertical supports or carriers 39 while the plate portions 36 and 36" are on separate carriers 39 and 39 All of these several carriers excepting 39 are secured to a lug 4'0 projecting downwardly from the body 4| of the templet; the carriers being mounted for lengthwise adjustment of the defining plates, namely by means of a bolt and slot or similar connection Mi as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9.

The right end of the templet is subdivided into two plates or sections for the purpose of facilitating the removal of a folded blank from the templet without the need of contracting the templet out of the folds. The details of such mounting are already known and are sufiiciently shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The carrier 39'" for the section 33 is connected to the carrier 3% by an inclined slot and stud device 42 and a similar horizontal device 63, a spring 44 pulling these parts to their normal position as shown wherein the extreme end plates 36 are in the same plane with the other plates of the templet. When the templet is raised to the dotted position of Fig. 1 the operator can readily snap the folded blank from the templet by tilting down the right end,

the end plate 36 swinging downwardly and inwardly, permitting the blank to be readily pulled downward from the end plate and leftward to disengage it entirely from the templet.

To support the system of infolders and bring about lifting and lowering movements there is shown a generally square frame or carriage 62 such as is more fully described in said Dixon patent, its front and rear parts having telescoping movements to permit the infolders to be moved inwardly and outwardly and the connections for such movements being indicated at the outer sides of the respective carriage parts 62. Above the front and rear infolders I2 or infolder carriage 62 are shown front and rear pressure blocks H3 by which the carriage and infolders may be lifted and lowered. These blocks are shown mounted at the top ends of pressure rods I4 and the lower ends of said rods may have connections with a cam lever I5 operated by a cam I6 on the shaft I9 as more fully described in said Dixon patent; a cam H coming into play after the folding to effect a powerful pulling down of the infolder system for squeezing the infolded blanks.

The essence of the present invention relates to the arrangement and cooperation of the templet with its various parts and sections and the pad or raised bed and its sections. It will be understood that when a machine is converted for a wholly different shape or style of collar or other blank the defining plates or sections of the templet must be wholly replaced by a substitute set having the new contour; and when such a change is made the sections of the bed may be correspondingly interchanged, especially when the bed is a pad having the contour of the finished product, although as herein shown the bed or pad is of rectangular form and therefore available for different styles of blank. The infolders will be understood to be interchanged according to changes made in thetemplet.

The present invention deals more particularly with the matter of altering the machine to infold blanks of varying lengths of the same style or shape. Thus a certain shape of collar band is indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and this may have to be manufactured in various lengths or sizes differing for example by inch or even A inch in length. Certain minor adjustments or inter changes are made to convert the machine from one size to another and with this invention the marking or impressing of the blanks for subsequent attaching purposes is performed with a minimum of attention and adjustment by reason of the described arrangement and construction of the parts or sections of the templet and bed.

Referring first to the templet, and considering only the matter of a single style or shape of blank, to be folded in various lengths, the templet is shown as comprising end plates which may be considered permanent for the purpose, although adjustable endwise on the templet body, namely the left end plate 36 and the right end plate comprising the two portions 36 and 36* These end sections of the shape are not customarily altered with changes of size. So also the center plate or section 35 of the templet may be considered permanent as the contour here is substantially the same with variations of size. Intermediate however of the center and end plates are the plates 31 and 38 which are symmetrically located and which are not permanent but .are interchangeable for variations of size. This will be best understood by assuming that the templet as a whole is to be lengthened one inch. Each interchangeable templet plate 31 or 38 will be removed and replaced by a similar one inch longer, thus increasing the total length one inch. Note that the templet is so designed that the marking ribs I 3 are carried by the interchangeable plates or sections 31 and 38, which is an important feature of this invention.

At this point the relation should be explained between the markings on the collar band or neck band and the shirt to which it is to be attached. The impression d made by the bosses I2 are for the purpose of subsequent registration of the collar top with the band. Their relation with the tip end of the band will not change. The markings or impressions e however, nearer to the center than the others, and produced by the bosses I3, are for registration with the shoulder seams of the shirt where these seams are to meet the neck band. The position of the markings e is roughly midway between the rear center of the shirt and band and the markings d or rather the front buttonholes later to be made near the ends of the blank. It follows that when the band has to be lengthened one inch for a correspondingly larger size of shirt, each half of the band from the rear center around to the front will be /2 inch longer, while the distance from the rear center to the mark 6 or shirt seam will be roughly 4 inch longer. It follows that in replacing the interchangeable or marking templet sections 3'! and 38 for an inch longer size, the substituted sections will each be 4; inch longer than those shown, and the postion of the boss I3 will be inch outwardly of the position shown, so that the produced marking will register with the shirt seam. A complete set of interchangeable sections 3'! and. 38 are furnished with each templet, as usual, each such section having its appropriate length and having its boss I3 appropriately formed or attached thereon; so that when the contour is to be lengthened one inch, or inch at each end, each boss I3 will be A; inch further from the center of the contour. This mode of construction of the interchangeable parts 31 and 38 of the templet will be understood to those skilled in the subject, and a complete set of such plates, with bosses properly positioned, will be understood without the need of illustration.

Referring next to the bed or pad, this should be lengthened correspondingly with the templet. It is shown as comprising only three sections, namely the center section 24 which will be interchanged for changes of size and the two end sections 23 which may be considered as permanent, having only to be adjusted and not interchanged with changes of size. By reason of this arrangement and the construction to be described no attention is required in respect to the marking or impressing of the blanks for changes of size. Taking the case of a change of size which is one inch longer the pad will be changed by removing the center section 24 and replacing it by a section one inch longer, moving the end sections 23 outwardly each inch. The recess or groove I4 nearest to each end of the contour is shown as provided by a small insert I6 attached by screws at the upper face of the bed and formed with the transverse groove or recess I4. This has a permanent relative position and requires no adjustment, since it is directly below the boss I2 of the templet, and when both the templet and pad are elongated, for example inch at each end, the boss and groove will still register.

In the case however of the boss I3 and the groove I 5 these will fall out of register by reason of the described condition that when the templet is lengthened A2 inch at each end the boss I3 is set out only M inch from the center, whereas the groove I5 being adjusted with the pad section 23 will move inch away from the center. For cooperation with the boss I3 therefore there is shown provided an insert I! in the face of the pad containing a whole series of grooves I5 spaced apart lengthwise for example A; inch. By this arrangement with one length of collar the boss I3 will cooperate with one of the grooves I5, whereas for the next larger or smaller size it will cooperate with the adjacent groove I5, a groove thus always being presented opposite to and in register with the marking boss I3 of the templet. The described purposes are thus obtained. With the disclosed structure the operative has only to make the natural changes of templet and pad for changes of size, namely by replacing the templet sections 31 and 38 and the pad section 24 by longer or shorter ones whereupon the marking bosses I2 and I3 are presented in their correct positions, with a marking recess or groove I I or I5 in proper registration opposite to each boss.

In shirts with attached collars it is customary to vary the sizes by /2 inch. As already explained a change of length of this extent involves one half such elongation at each side of the center, so that the boss I3 will be displaced only A; inch for each successive size; and to accommodate the successive positions of the boss the insert I! therefore should have its grooves or notches I5 spaced A inch apart, presenting a substantially continuous serration at this part of the surface of the bed, but the grooves effecting no appreciable impression upon the goods except as to the groove into which the goods are thrust by the boss I3. The use of the invention is not limited to any given set of dimensions since obviously the principles described may be adapted to a great variety of situations.

A modified construction is shown in Figs. '7 and 8 wherein the pad sections 23 and 24 may be in the same relation as before and the section 23 may be provided with the same notch I4 to receive the boss I2. In place however of the insert with the multiple notches I5 to cooperate with the boss I3 there is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 an adjustable block I9 formed with a single groove or notch I5 for the purpose, this block being adjustable longitudinally within a shallow recess or sink 20 at the top side of each pad section 23. The block I9 is shown as having a shank 2I slideable in an extension of the recess, with a screw 22 for securing the parts in the proper adjustment for the groove I 5 to cooperate with the boss 13. As seen in Fig. 9 the shank 2I is relatively thin so that the head of the screw 22 will not protrude above the bed level.

In regard to the recess or groove I4 in adjustable bed pad portion 23, this fails directly beneath the templet projection I2 in each length adjustment of the machine. However, the principles applied to the projection I 3 and notch I5 might be applied also to the projection I2 and the notch M in a case where the bed part 23 is not adjustable but remains fixed throughout the length adjustments of the templet. Thus in place of the insert I6 carrying the notch I4 there might be a longer insert carrying a whole series of notches I4, which will be spaced A; inch apart at each end of the bed in the case of blanks to be produced differing by inch size; and in such a construction the insert I'I will have its notches I5 spaced apart substantially A; inch for reasons already explained. Or in the case of either an adjustable or non-adjustable bed or pad either or both of the inserts I6 or II and their notches might be lengthwise adjustable in accordance with the principles shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

There has thus been described an infolding machine fulfilling the purposes of the present invention and embodying its principles; but since many matters of operation, combination and construction may be variously modified within the scope of the invention, the claims are not intended to be limited to such matters except to the extent set forth in the respective claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for infolding blanks for collar bands and impressing outer and inner location marks adjacent the periphery thereof, the combination with a blank-supporting bed, a blank-defining templet, and means for infolding the blank while resting on the bed and defined by the templet; the templet having outer and inner sections relatively adjustable lengthwise for size of blank, and each such templet section having an underneath boss for marking the blank, whereby the bosses may be adjusted to different distances from each other and from the center of the templet; the bed having relatively adjustable sections with one outer section beneath both an outer and inner templet section, and such outer bed section having a recess opposite one of said templet bosses and a series of recesses opposite the other thereof.

2. In a machine for infolding blanks for collar bands and impressing outer and inner location marks adjacent the periphery thereof, the combination with a blank-supporting bed, a blank-defining templet, and means for infolding the blank while resting on the bed and defined by the templet; the templet having outer and inner sections relatively adjustable lengthwise for size of blank, and each such templet section having an underneath boss for marking the blank, whereby the bosses may be adjusted to difierent distances from each other and from the center of the templet; the bed having relatively adjustable sections with one outer section beneath both an outer and inner templet section, and such outer bed section having a recess opposite one of said templet bosses and an inset slidable block with a recess opposite the other templet boss, with means to fix said block in proper adjustment.

3. In a machine for infolding blanks for collar bands and impressing outer and inner location marks adjacent the periphery thereof, the combination with a blank-supporting bed, a blank-defining templet, and means for infolding the blank while resting on the bed and defined by the templet; the templet having outer and inner sections, the outer sections relatively adjustable lengthwise for size of blank and the inner sections interchangeable, and each such templet section having an underneath boss for marking the blank, whereby the bosses may be adjusted to different distances from each other and from the center of the templet; the bed having relatively adjustable sections With one outer section beneath both an outer and inner templet section, and such outer bed section having recesses opposite the outer and inner templet bosses adapted to receive the templet bosses in the various adjustments thereof.

4.111 a machine for infolding collar band blanks and impressing outer location marks near each end thereof for registration with a collar top, and inner location marks at intermediate points for registration with the side seams of a shirt, the combination with infolders, of a blanksupporting bed comprising lengthwise adjustable sections each having an outer recess adapted to be positioned beneath an outer location and an inner recess adapted to be positioned beneath an inner location, and a blank-defining templet comprising outer sections lengthwise adjustable for size and inner sections interchangeable for size, the outer sections having underneath bosses at the outer locations and the inner sections having underneath bosses at the inner locations.

5. A machine as in claim 4 and wherein each adjustable bed section has a series of inner recesses one for each position of the templet boss beneath the inner section.

6. A machine as in claim 4 and wherein each adjustable bed section has an adjustable block with recess therein adapted to be set to register with the templet boss beneath the inner section.

7. A collar blank infolding machine comprising an elevated bed having adjustable end sections and an interchangeable middle section, a templet having adjustable outer sections, interchangeable inner sections and a fixed middle section, complementary blank indenting means on each bed end section and templet outer section, and complementary indenting means on each bed end section and templet inner section; one of said marking means comprising multiple recesses.

8. A collar blank infolding machine comprising an elevated bed having adjustable end sections and an interchangeable middle section, a templet having adjustable outer sections, interchangeable inner sections and a fixed middle section, complementary blank indenting means on each bed end section and templet outer section, and complementary indenting means on each bed end section and templet inner section; one of said marking means comprising a recessed block shiftable on its section.

9. In a machine for infolding blanks for collars and the like and impressing location marks adjacent the periphery thereof, the combination with infolders, of a blank-supporting bed, having a recess beneath the location to be marked, and a blank-defining sectional templet having an underneath boss at the location to be marked; the templet being lengthwise adjustable for size and adapted for interchange of an inner section carrying a boss and the boss being thereby adjustable in location for each adjustment for size, and the bed having a series of recesses to receive the templet boss in its varying positions, and thereby being adapted to present a recess opposite each adjusted location of the projection.

10. In a machine for infolding blanks for collars and the like and impressing location marks adjacent the periphery thereof, the combination With infolders, of a blank-supporting bed, having a recess beneath the location to be marked, and a blank-defining sectional templet having an underneath boss at the location to be marked; the templet being lengthwise adjustable for size and adapted for interchange of an inner section carrying a boss and the boss being thereby adjustable in location for each adjustment for size, and the bed having a recessed block adjustable to correspond with templet adjustment, and thereby being adapted to present a recess opposite each adjusted location of the projection.

MICHAEL J. CURLEY. 

